Popular among Los Angeles residents, Beverly Center Mall was the last major U.S. shopping center to resume operations after quarantine.
Beverly Center is owned by the Westfield operator, which owns five more malls in the region. And all of them have already resumed operations earlier. The fact is that these malls have stores with external exits, which simplifies the task of managing visitor flows. Located in a densely populated urban area, Beverly Center is deprived of such "luxury."
The tenants' list includes such well-known brands as Armani, Burberry, Fendi, Ferragamo, and Prada. There is also a Macy's store, which will also be the last one opened after the lockdown. According to the company's representative, "at the moment, all Macy's stores are open, except for the smallest one, located in the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Hotel."
Another anchor tenant at Beverly Center is Bloomingdale department store, whose representatives also welcomed the mall's management decisions. In total, there are seven department stores of the brand in Southern California. And the one located in Beverly Center is among the most visited.
That the shopping center, which was closed in mid-March, has already opened on June 9. But then, frightened by the activity of visitors, who rushed to the mall in crowds, Los Angeles County officials quickly restored restrictions. It happened on June 14, i.e., the center did not work for a week then. And so, starting from September 30, closed shopping centers in Los Angeles County are allowed to resume their work by 25%.
Beverly Center, opened in early 1982, is located in the heart of the entertainment industry. Stylists and costume designers often come here for the goods necessary for movies and TV shows. Celebrities often visit the mall; it served as a shooting place for several films. Although the mall was initially criticized for its overly monumental architecture, it eventually became an essential part of the neighborhood's life, having been loved by many locals.
At the end of last year, the mall's management announced a "rethinking" of the place, which cost $500 million. The number of high-class tenants and restaurants expanded, and the number of parking spaces increased. Further works in this direction were also planned, but the Coronavirus Pandemic postponed them for an indefinite period.
After Beverly Center opening, more than 3000 employees will be able to return to their workplaces. It is hoped that the buyers will also return. But about a third of visitors to the Beverly Center has always been tourists. So we can't wait for a quick recovery on these attendance figures. They may never be able to return at all.
8 OCTOBER 2020, USA